1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sailing vessel and a profile mast for sailing vessels. The profile mast is mounted and braced so that it can rotate, with the foot of the mast between the deck and the keel area of the vessel. In the rear mast area, there is a receptacle for the reefing shaft of a roller reefing device on which the sail guided through a slot on the rear edge of the profile mast can be rolled up. Generally, a profile mast is a mast with an aerodynamic profile. That is, the mast body has a forward curved nose and aerodynamic sides which extend rearward from the nose and converge to form the slot on the rear edge of the profile mast.
2. Background Information
Such a profile mast is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,482. In that patent, the mast is set at an angle corresponding to prevailing conditions. In practice, however, problems exist in the aerodynamically favorable lee-side configuration of the transition area between the profile mast and the sail in the vicinity of the emergence slot. That is, relatively large airflow separations occur in this transitional area.
An additional profile mast of the same general type is disclosed in Federal Republic of Germany Patent No. 31 20 472, whereby the mast is adjusted by means of a complex mechanical apparatus.